Category: Hawaiian Customs

Nā Waiwai Aloha – 28 Hawaiian Values

Hawaiian Values are, in essence, values for humanity. Their uniqueness comes from being expressed in a pure, pristine way. Even though they were inherited from ancient Polynesian Culture and an environment that is temperate to tropical, they still speak to the values we have today worldwide.  People living together on this small planet must have… Read more »

Hawai’i Has Nearly 300 Special Names for It’s Rains

Downpour - one of 300 rains in Hawai'i

Many people who visit Hawai’i, especially for the first time, comment on how laid-back the lifestyle is here. The pace most locals and residents move seems slower than what people expect or are used to. You may even see a bumper sticker warning visitors or even rambunctious residents to, “Slow DOWN! This ain’t the Mainland!” … Read more »

Tattooing – A Gift to the World from Hawai’i and Polynesia

Tattooed Hawaiian man with sunglasses

When I tell someone that the art and practice of Tattooing first originated in Polynesia and Hawai’i, people do not believe me.  However, it is true. The art form of Tattooing was utterly unknown in the western world before Captain Cook’s first voyages through Polynesia and Hawai’i.  Even the word, Tattoo, is one of a… Read more »

Feast Your Eyes! Look at the Favorite Ono Grindz of Hawai’i

Hana fruit stand

The people who live in Hawai’i tend to live an active lifestyle centered around being outside. As soon as their work is pau*, the outdoors calls. Things like surfing (body, board, wind, kite), SUP (stand-up paddling), paddling (canoe, kayak), snorkeling, swimming, running on the beach, or hiking to a waterfall with a freshwater pool. There… Read more »

Unique Fashion With Rare and Unusual History – The Aloha Shirt

Aloha Shirts

Like so many traditions in Hawai’i, The Aloha Shirt is deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture and history. Seeing an Aloha Shirt will make most people feel the irresistible pull toward Hawai’i. Everyone has a dream to someday visit or return to these magical islands.   The Aloha Shirt was initially called The Hawaiian Shirt. It was… Read more »

House of the Sun – Sacred, Mystical, and Rare

Sunrise at Haleakala

No Matter Our Culture or Heritage, All People are Drawn to the Mountaintop  The mountains are calling and I must go –  John Muir.   I have been to the Mountaintop –  Martin Luther King Jr. The wind howls but the mountain remains still – Japanese Proverb Since ancient times, Haleakalā* has been and remains a… Read more »

A Small, But Absolutely Mighty Island That Shows the Way

Kaho’olawe is the smallest main island in the Hawaiian chain.  But don’t let that fool you. It is small but mighty, a 45 square mile island that has endured an unimaginable, punishing past. The good news is that today it is making a huge comeback. This May marks the 28th year since the return of… Read more »